The Top Ten Fantasy Females

Television has long been home to unforgettable heroines: women who combined beauty, brains, and bravura to captivate audiences across generations. From the sultry streets of Gotham to the cosmic adventures of the TARDIS, these are the top ten fantasy females whose allure, power, and charisma made them legends of the small screen.

NUMBER 10

SAMANTHA (Bewitched)

THE FEMALE FACTOR:
Perky practitioner of the mystical arts, Samantha, played by Elizabeth Montgomery, was the original suburban sorceress with a sparkle in her eye and a twitch in her nose. Bright, breezy, blonde and beautifully wholesome, she effortlessly bewitched not only her mortal husband Darrin but pretty much every man watching from the sofa. Her irresistible mix of domestic charm and supernatural mischief made her a fantasy fixture of the living-room age. Whether she was whipping up a perfect dinner or accidentally unleashing magical mayhem, Samantha proved that enchantment came as much from her radiant femininity as from her otherworldly abilities.

THE FANTASY FACTOR:
The homespun, nose-twitching spellcraft of Samantha earns her a sweet and sparkly 10th place, with a fantasy factor of a modest but magical 1 out of 10 for sheer power over the male mind. Not a siren… not a goddess… but the ultimate girl-next-door witch who made normality look downright enchanting.

NUMBER 9

CATHY GALE (The Avengers)

THE FEMALE FACTOR:
The pivotal prototype for the all-action TV wonder woman, Cathy Gale, played by Honor Blackman stormed onto screens as a leather-clad avenging angel with brains, beauty and a lethal right hook. Blonde, brilliant and beautifully dangerous, she didn’t just bend stereotypes — she smashed them flat. An anthropologist with a black belt and a frosty stare, Cathy spring-boarded the TV “honey” out of the kitchen and straight into the realm of credible, self-directed can-do heroines. Her razor-sharp intelligence, smouldering sex appeal and combat-ready confidence ensnared men and electrified women, setting a template that still reverberates through action television today.

THE FANTASY FACTOR:
The mould-breaking allure of Cathy Gale’s fine-boned, ice-cool beauty secures her an elegant 9th place, with a fantasy factor of a crisp and controlled 2 out of 10 for her undeniable — and enviable — effect on the male mind. Not fantasy fluff… but formidable fascination.

NUMBER 8

JO GRANT (Doctor Who)

THE FEMALE FACTOR:
Wide-eyed, wider-smiled and wonderfully earnest, Jo Grant, played by Katy Manning, was the sunbeam companion to the Third Doctor’s velvet-jacketed genius. Whether dodging Daleks, sparring with the Master or gazing in awe at the brilliance of her favourite Time Lord, this compact bundle of feisty femininity united the stiff-upper-lip resolve of UNIT with the daydream-fuelled fantasies of men from Peterborough to the planet Peladon. Her irresistible blend of lost-puppy vulnerability and fearless selflessness made her both adorable and admirable. And when she finally left the Doctor for a long-haired, maggot-studying eco-scientist from Wales, a thousand broken hearts echoed sadly across the timestream.

THE FANTASY FACTOR:
The enduringly 70s, intergalactic allure of the winsome Miss Jo Grant earns her an easy 8th place, with a fantasy factor of a sweetly sincere 3 out of 10. For her platform-heeled, multicoloured, cosmic ability to awaken the protective passions of men across the multiverse, Jo remains the ultimate girl-next-door… from another dimension.

NUMBER 7

BUFFY SUMMERS (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

THE FEMALE FACTOR:
High-kicking blonde bombshell and sworn nemesis of the undead, Buffy Summers, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar, rewrote the rulebook on who gets to be both cute and lethal. From high school halls to college campuses, this California doll dismantled Sunnydale’s shadow-loving residents with a mix of athletic ferocity and sunlit sex appeal that drove metaphorical stakes through the overheated hearts of the living and the not-so-living alike. She balanced cheerleader charm with warrior grit, tossing in just enough mystery, mayhem and darkly delicious attitude to make saving the world look like the ultimate after-school activity.

THE FANTASY FACTOR:
The kinetic, combat-ready allure of Buffy Summers secures her a stylish 7th place, with a fantasy factor of a fierce 4 out of 10. For her uncanny ability to make heartless monsters and heart-thumping men follow her straight to the Hellmouth — and back again — Buffy remains the slayer of souls in every sense.

NUMBER 6

MAX (Dark Angel)

THE FEMALE FACTOR:
Genetically engineered super-babe of the near future, Max, played by Jessica Alba, burst onto the scene as a dark-clad, perfectly-proportioned package of superior human potential. Escaping the cold regimentation of the ultra-secret Manticore Project, she carved out a double life in post-apocalyptic Seattle: sassy, sexy motorcycle messenger by day… brooding, beautiful right-wronger by night. Smart, sharp and fiercely independent, she combined streetwise attitude with lethal grace. With eyes that could stop traffic and a body that looked like it was designed by a team of very ambitious scientists, Max was the bionic siren of the new millennium — part rebel, part angel, all danger.

THE FANTASY FACTOR:
The sleek, steel-nerved allure of Max earns her a powerful 6th place, with a fantasy factor of a charged-up 5 out of 10. For her uncanny ability to make men want to save her, follow her, and fear her all at once, Max remains the ultimate man-made dream girl with a kickass soul.

NUMBER 5

PURDEY (The New Avengers)

THE FEMALE FACTOR:

Mop-topped, upper-class and with a lethal line in sophisticated avenging, Purdey, played by Joanna Lumley, was cool as ice and hot as headlines. With her cut-glass accent and quicksilver wit, she became the latest in the illustrious line of stunning partners to the ever-urbane John Steed. Equally at home flipping villains with a crisp judo throw from her willowy frame as she was trading sly, sparkling double entendres with the fashion-challenged Mike Gambit, Purdey was danger in designer boots. A true English Rose: elegant, intelligent… and armed with beautifully sharpened thorns.

THE FANTASY FACTOR:

The delectable delicacy of the pulse-pounding Purdey pirouettes her into a glamorous 5th place, with a fantasy factor of a tantalising 6 out of 10. For her effortless ability to make even the hardest hearts flutter open like well-oiled umbrellas, Purdey remains pure, poised, patriotic perfection.

NUMBER 4

CATWOMAN (Batman)

THE FEMALE FACTOR:

Feline femme fatale whose purr turned to poetry the moment she slipped into her mask and skintight catsuit, Catwoman, played at various times by Julie Newmar, Lee Meriwether and Eartha Kitt, prowled the shadowed streets of Gotham with a swagger that made crime look irresistibly glamorous. Selena Kyle played happy havoc with the heart rate of the straight-laced Caped Crusader, teasing his moral compass and tangling his cape in temptation at every turn. With every sultry smirk and perfectly timed double-cross, she didn’t just toy with Batman — she toyed with the fantasies of men everywhere, slinking her way into dreams with claws sheathed in velvet and danger wrapped in desire.

THE FANTASY FACTOR:

The kittenish charisma of Catwoman effortlessly steals her a sleek and seductive 4th place, with a fantasy factor of a devilishly delightful 7 out of 10. For her CATastrophic effect on the male mind — and her unbeatable blend of danger, desire and defiance — she remains Gotham’s most irresistible criminal asset.

NUMBER 3

MARINA (Stingray)

THE FEMALE FACTOR:
Sultry, silent siren of the sea-lanes, this emerald-haired amphibian goddess — daughter of Aphony, Emperor of the serene undersea realm of Pacifica — glided through Stingray like a whispered promise. Caught in a delicately simmering love triangle between daring Commander Troy Tempest and the shapely yet slightly simpering Lt. Atlanta Shore, Marina became the quiet, magnetic centre of attention. Though the series bowed out with hearts still entangled, Marina’s graceful, marionette-perfect allure had already captured the nation. Her wordless presence inspired Barry Gray’s haunting love theme, tenderly sung over the closing credits by matinee idol Gary Miller — sealing her status as television’s most eloquent silent fantasy.

THE FANTASY FACTOR:
The shimmering, waterlogged wonder of Marina (playing herself in the role) earns her a lofty 3rd place and a fantasy factor of a glowing 8 out of 10. For her beauty, her poise, and her legendary ability to fulfil every man’s dream by turning silence into pure seduction, Marina remains the ultimate proof that sometimes… the quiet ones say it all.

NUMBER 2

WONDER WOMAN (Wonder Woman)

THE FEMALE FACTOR:
Statuesque, radiant and impossibly serene, Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman arrived on television like a thunderclap wrapped in velvet. With eyes that could soften steel and a smile that could disarm armies, she fused goddess-grade beauty with an unshakable moral core. Regal without being remote, powerful without losing warmth, this Amazonian icon strode straight out of myth and into the collective imagination. Her presence was pure star quality: commanding yet compassionate, glamorous yet grounded. In an era of glitter and disco lights, she shone brighter than them all—an immortal blend of strength, grace and irresistible charm that made you believe in heroes again.

THE FANTASY FACTOR:
From the spin of her transformation to the flash of those bullet-deflecting bracelets, Wonder Woman didn’t just save the day—she owned it. The lasso, the tiara, the boots, the confidence… every element clicked into place to create a fantasy figure of truly divine proportions. Lynda Carter’s portrayal turned a comic-book legend into a living, breathing dream, one that balanced superhuman power with human allure. She didn’t need to try; she simply was. For that effortless majesty, timeless sex appeal and unbreakable heroic aura, Wonder Woman claims her rightful spot at Number 2 with a fantasy factor of a thunderously triumphant 9 out of 10. An Amazon for all ages. An icon forever.

NUMBER 1

EMMA PEEL (The Avengers)

THE FEMALE FACTOR:

The quintessential avenging beauty whose “man appeal” refuses to fade. Smooth as silk, sharp as wit, and wondrous in every way, Emma Peel, played by Diana Rigg, remains the immaculate fusion of captivating femininity and lethal intelligence. Wrapped in a slender, catsuited silhouette that could stop clocks and start legends, she transcended her era to become a true cross-generational icon of heart-stopping proportions. As sparkling and effervescent as the finest vintage champagne, this dazzling daughter of the swinging sixties acquired a mythic status that time itself cannot tarnish. Men still worship her. Women still want to be her. Pure, polished, peerless perfection.

THE FANTASY FACTOR:

The sleek, silky sophistication of the whip-wielding, Hellfire Club-bested Queen of Cool doesn’t just earn first place — she demands it. With a fantasy factor of a thunderously triumphant 10 out of 10, Emma Peel shattered hearts the day she rode into the sunset with her rediscovered husband, leaving a permanently pensive John Steed — and a grieving generation — behind in the unforgettable “The Forget-Me-Knot.” After that exit, The Avengers… and television fantasy itself… was never quite the same again.